1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of transport of fresh produce and it is particularly in the field of transport of fresh produce by barge on waterways in conjunction with air conditioning units carried by such barge for maintaining the fresh condition of such produce.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been many air conditioned and/or air cooled or refrigerated fresh food containers in use, some of which have been the subject of patents. Some devices used in caring for fresh food containers are designed to be carried aboard ships; there are fresh food containers designed to be carried upon land vehicles; and some containers are so arranged as to be susceptible of being transported first upon land vehicles and then upon vessels.
The present invention however, is in the unique field of a method and a combination with a barge of an arrangement suitable for transporting fresh food, by barge, either from initial point of production to point of destination, or intermediate other transport means or points. Up to now, attempts at conditioning the atmosphere of a barge for such use has been limited to cumbersome and ineffective blowing of air into a barge from a deck-mounted blower, or the like, which does little, if anything, to maintain proper conditions for fresh produce; and, our co-pending application, Ser. No. 243,695, filed Apr. 13, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,427 is in the specific field of an air conditioned barge; we have now developed an improved method and apparatus, which incorporates features of said co-pending application and adds to the invention, particularly in the method of cooling the refrigerant. Except as outlined, we know of no art in which any attempt has been made to truly air condition a barge of produce effectively and to provide, at the same time, a plenum chamber distribution of conditioned air through the produce within the barge.